Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like comprising means for supplying paperback books, means conveying the paperback books serially from the supply to a cover plow for rotating and opening the cover away from the remainder of the book, a cutter for severing the cover from its book adjacent the book binding, means mutilating the paperback books after their covers are removed, and means for depositing the mutilated books in a receptacle.

nite States atent Vulcano [541 APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING COVERS FROM PAPERBACK BOOKS AND THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Vincent N. Vulcano, New York,

[73] Assignee: Compu-Sort Systems, Inc.,

Brooklyn, NY.

[22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1970 [21 Appl. No.: 92,350

[52] US. Cl. ..83/418, 83/58, 83/80, 83/925 MG, 241/101 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B26d 1/14 [58] Field of Search....24l/33, 101 R, 223, 230, 234; 83/103, 107, 418, 925 MG [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,584,346 2/ 1952 Havely ..83/925 MG [451 Mar. 27, 1973 3,240,089 3/1966 Chamberlain et a]. 83/107 X 2,589,673 3/1952 Cobb ..83/925 MG 2,618,334 11/1952 Cobb ....83/925 MG 3,234,833 2/1966 Gi1bert..... ....83/925 MG 3,431,804 3/1969 Marshall ..83/925 MG Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Attorney-Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman ABSTRACT An apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like comprising means for supplying paperback books, means conveying the paperback books serially from the supply to a cover plow for rotating and opening the cover away from the remainder of the book, a cutter for severing the cover from its book adjacent the book binding, means mutilating the paperback books after their covers are removed, and means for depositing the mutilated books in a receptacle.

9 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZYISYS 722,342

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APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING COVERS FROM PAPERBACK BOOKS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like. Although at present the invention has its greatest utility with paperback books, in fact the apparatus may be utilized to remove covers from magazines, pamphlets, catalogues, hard cover books, and from other similar printed matter. Thus, the term paperback books," as used herein, shall include all such printed material which has a cover.

It is an accepted practice in the paperback book industry that if a retailer decides, having held some paperback books for a period of time, that for some reason he does not desire to carry these books on his racks any longer, he can return the unsold books to his paperback book wholesaler for credit. The wholesaler in turn passes these books back to the distributor, who in turn passes them back to the book publisher, unless they can be otherwise sold. Relatively large transportation costs are involved in moving paperback books from one location to the other and the cost of sorting and handling such books is also significant. To reduce these costs, it has been found desirable to use the cover of the paperback book as a voucher., Under this system, the cover is detached from the book and is sent back up through the line of distribution so that the retailer, wholesaler, distributor, and publisher get appropriate credit for each cover returned.

To make this system operate properly, the industry has felt for some time a need for an apparatus for automatically, efficiently and quickly removing covers from paperback books so that the covers can be gathered together and sent through several levels to the publisher for appropriate credit. At the same time, it is necessary that the remaining portion of the paperback book, that is, the paperback book minus its cover, be mutilated so that it cannot be sold at retail by secondhand dealers in competition with the original paperback books for which the publisher has already given credit.

Thus, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books which operates automatically, in an efficient manner and which brings the system of using a cover as a voucher for a paperback book to its best advantage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books of the character described which in addition, mutilates the paperback books after the covers have been removed, in order that the stripped books cannot be resold at retail.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books of the character described in which the covers are deposited in one receptacle, while the paperback books without their covers are placed into a different receptacle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books of the character described which may act upon a supply of such books of various thicknesses and which may handle books of varying thicknesses automatically without any necessity for adjusting or resetting the apparatus.

In general, and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books which includes means for supplying such paperback books to a loading station. At the loading station, the books are transported one after another by a conveyor along an operative path. A cover plow is in the path and deflects and opens the cover of any book brought to it to a plane substantially perpendicular to the remainder of the book. A cutter is also in the path and severs the cover from a book at the binding, this severing operation taking place while the cover is in its mentioned open position. Then the paperback book falls into a set of wheels which mutilate the book and which dump it into a receptacle. The covers have previously fallen into a different receptacle. Appropriate detection means are provided to count both the number of covers placed into the cover receptacle and the number of books mutilated and placed into the coverless paperback book receptacle.

Other objects, features, and embodiments of the invention are contemplated and will be apparent from the following more detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a left side elevational view of the apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FllG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and showing the paperback book supply means;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2 and showing the means for preventing more than one paperback book from being conveyed at a time, where the books are of mixed widths;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the central portion of the apparatus and showing a portion of the cover plow;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cover plow taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and showing the approach of a paperback book to the cover plow;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the same book having been transported further along the apparatus frame and with the cover being turned away from the remainder of the paperback book;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus showing the cover cutter and taken substantially along the line 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an ejector for removing improperly processed paperback books from the apparatus and taken substantially along the line 9- 9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a detector for operating the book ejector;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the paperback book mutilator and taken substantially along the line l1-1l of FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 is a front plan view of the apparatus with the frame plate removed and showing the various drives for the apparatus;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the conveyor gear train taken substantially along the line 13-13 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic of the circuit for the apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books is seen in its entirety in FIGS. 1 and 2. The apparatus includes a flat, elongated, tilted frame plate 12 to which most of the remaining components of the apparatus are fixed. The frame plate is supported on any flat surface by upright legs 14.

Supply means feeds paperback books one at a time to a loading station. The supply means includes an inclined book chute 16 fixed to the frame plate having a bottom wall 18 along which books slide and a pair of side walls 20, 22 for guiding the books. As best seen in FIG. 3, the paperback books P are loaded on the chute 16 in an orientation such that the bindings B of the books are upward on the chute and the edges E of the books opposed to the bindings B contact and slide along the bottom wall 18. The paperback books are further oriented so that their covers C face the frame plate 12. The stack of paperback books is loaded on the chute l6 manually, and a weight 24 urges the stack of books along the inclined chute l6 downwardly towards the frame plate 12. The supply means brings the books to a loading station 26 from which the books move along a conveyor 28 one at a time.

Retention means enables the apparatus to accommodate and operate on paperback books of mixed thicknesses, which may range from a book of approximately I50 pages to a book of approximately 900 pages, of 56 inch thickness to l A inch thickness, respectively, without adjustment by a worker. For this purpose, a group of spaced spring fingers 30 is held on one common set of ends by an arm 32 which protrudes from the frame plate 12 (see FIG. 4) and is situated on the interior, exit side (right hand side in FIG. 2) of the chute 16. The fingers are are spaced apart, and extend downwardly in front of the lowest book P, in the chute so that some resistance will be imparted to said book P, as well as to the paperback book P next closest to the frame plate 12. The fingers are spaced and arranged to overlie the interface of the books P, and P Accordingly, when the conveyor 28, as will be seen, urges the paperback book P, along the frame plate 12, sufficient force will be imparted thereto to overcome the resistance of the spring fingers 30 and the edge will bend these fingers out of the way. However, since resistance is also applied by the spring fingers 30 to the next uppermost paperback book P this book will remain in place (since it is not acted upon directly by the conveyor 28) regardless of the friction between these books P,, P By this arrangement, only one book P, will be transported by the conveyor, regardless of its thickness and regardless of the thickness of the next uppermost book. The side wall 22 of the chute terminates short of the loading station 26 so as not to interfere with the aforesaid movement of the book P,.

The conveyor 28 moves the paperback books one at a time from the loading station 26 along an operative path towards the cover stripping mechanism. The conveyor includes a pair of opposed endless-loop chain belts, namely an upper chain belt 34 and a lower chain belt 36, which are driven in opposite directions and which define said operative path. Each chain belt carries a number of equally spaced book pushers 38. The upper chain belt 34 and the lower chain belt 36 carry an equal number of pushers and these pushers are in alignment so that a pusher on the lower chain belt 36 reaches the loading station and contacts a paperback book at the station at the same time that a pusher on the upper chain belt reaches a similar location and contacts the same book at a different location thereon. Each pusher 38 includes a blade 40 which is L-shaped in cross section (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and a clip 42 which joins the blade 40 to a link of its associated chain belt 34 or 36. Each chain belt is trained along a number of gears and includes a drive reach 44 and a return reach 46. The drive reaches 44 of the chain belts 34, 36, are spaced apart slightly more than the dimension of a paperback book which runs from its binder B to its opposed edge E (see FIG. 3) so that the pushers 38 contact the books at their sides at locations close to the binder B and opposed edge E, respectively. Each chain belt 34, 36 rides between a pair of horizontally spaced opposed gears, the chain belt 34 riding on opposed gears 48, 50 and the chain belt 36 riding between opposed gears 52, 54. The chain belt 34 is kept under tension by an idler gear 56 while the chain belt 36 is kept under tension by an idler gear 58. A pair of opposed elongated chain guides 60, 62, one for each of the chain belts 34, 36 respectively, is fixed above and below the loading station 26 and extend along the frame plate to further define in part the operative path.

These guides accurately position the chain belts and thus the pushers 38, as the pushers move books from the loading station along the path.

A pair of pushers 38, one on the chain belt 34 and another on the belt 36, push each book along the frame plate 12 towards the cover severing mechanism. To reduce the friction between the book P, and the frame plate 12 at the loading station, an elongated slide 64 having a low friction coating is set into the frame plate 12 and is slightly elevated from it so that the lowermost paperback book P, rides on it. An elongated spring arm 66 (see FIG. 5) is positioned on the plate to urge a book leaving the loading station flat against the frame plate 12. The spring arm 66 includes a wide end which is fixed to a shaft 68 secured to the plate 12 and the shaft orients the spring arm toward the face plate. The spring arm terminates in an elongated nose 70 which extends beyond the cover plow, soon to be explained. In this manner, each paperback book in turn is kept snug against the frame plate 12 while it is being conveyed from the loading station 26 to the cover severing mechanism.

A cover plow 72 is provided to open and deflect the cover of a paperback book away from the remainder of the book, as the book is being conveyed through its operative path along the frame plate 12, to enable the cover to be cut away from the remainder of the book. The cover plow 72 includes an anvil 74 set flush into the frame plate 12 which terminates in an edge 75 substantially perpendicular to the length of the operative path. The plow also includes a hinged blade 76 which catches" the book cover C. The blade has a bevelled leading edge 78 and a thickened trailing end 80. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, there is a gap 82 formed between the leading edge 78 of the blade and the anvil 74, when the blade 76 is in its inoperative position in contact with the anvil 74.

The gap 82 has a dimension which runs from the anvil 74 to the inside surface of leading edge 78, which is substantially the same as the thickness of the cover C of a paperback book. Hence, when a paperback book in the course of its movement along the frame plate 12, has its cover C located against the anvil 74, and con tinues its forward movement (in a direction shown by the arrow A in FIGS. 5 through 7), the blade 76 engages the paperback book so that the cover C continues into the gap 82 while the leading edge 78 is inserted between the cover C and remainder of the book (compare FIGS. 6 and 7). Should a few pages in addition to the cover C slip into the gap 82, no harm will be done since those pages and the cover will all be stripped by the cover severing mechanism, as will be seen. The blade 76 is made of a carbide metal so that it will not be worn down and the dimensions of the gap 82 will not be altered by the processing of a large quantity of paperback books.

The blade 76 is carried by a blade carrier 84 which is joined by a hinge 86 for limited rotation to an adjacent portion 12a of the frame plate. A tension spring 88 acts on the blade carrier 84 at the hinge 86 to keep the leading edge 78 biased against the anvil 74. The blade 76 and its carrier 84 are positioned in a slot 90 formed in the frame plate 12 to enable the paperback book cover C to turn from the initial position thereof flat against the remainder of the book through an arc of 90 away from the remainder of the paperback book. The slot 90 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) is defined by the edge 75 of the anvil and by a cover-diverting shoulder 91 which includes the upper edge 92 of the blade carrier 84, this being a substantially horizontal portion of the shoulder 91 and by an internal edge 94 of the frame plate portion 1221, this being in leading part a horizontal portion, in intermediate part a diagonal upwardly rising portion, and in trailing part a substantially horizontal portion. The edge 92 and and the leading part of the edge 94 line up with the center of the cover C of a book which approaches the cover plow 72, while the trailing part of the edge 94 lines up close tothe binding B of a book which approaches the plow 72.

As the cover C passes by the leading edge 78 of the blade 76, it is diverted behind the blade and engages in turn the edge 92 and then the edge 94, both defining the shoulder 91. As the cover does so, it is gradually turned by the rising shoulder from a position substantially parallel to and flat against the pages of the paperback book to a position open and substantially 90 from the remainder of the paperback book to achieve the orientation seen in FIG. 8. The cover plow carries a pair of wire guides 97 to aid in rotating the cover, as described.

The paperback book, with its cover open and riding on the edge 91, next is engaged by the cutter 98 situated in the operative path, (see FIGS. 2 and 8). The cutter includes a cutting wheel 100 which is mounted for rotation in a circular opening 101 off of the slot 90. The wheel is on a shaft 102 journaled within a crossbar 103 fixed to the frame 12 and a tube 104. An extension 106 attached to the shaft 102 is driven, as will be explained subsequently, so that the cutter wheel 100 is also driven. In a preferred form of the invention, the wheel 100 has a cutting edge 108 having a distinguishable configuration, for example, a configuration CF which forms a continually alternating diagonal line. Such adistinguishing configuration is utilized so that the cut of the wheel of the apparatus may be recognized upon visual inspection of a stripped paperback cover and may be differentiated from a cover which has been stripped by hand.

The wheel bears against an anvil assembly 110, which includes an anvil wheel 112 which is tempered for hardness and which bears against the edge of the wheel 100. The wheel 112 is mounted for rotation within a block 114 and is carried by a shaft 116 which rides in a tube 118. The shaft 116 and the tube 118 are keyed as at 120 to prevent relative rotation. A spring 122 is located within the tube 118 below the shaft 116 and urges the shaft 116 andthus the anvil wheel 112 toward the cutter wheel 100. An adjustable step 124 threaded in the lower end of the tube 118 is utilized to vary the position of the lower end of the spring 122 to thereby adjust the spring pressure on the shaft 116. This arrangement enables considerable pressure to be placed on the anvil wheel 112 so that it is urged strongly against the wheel 100 of the cutter 98, to insure that the cover C will be severed when it passes between the wheel 100 and the anvil 112. The anvil wheel 1 12 is in line with the trailing part of the shoulder 91 and supports the cover C in its orientation generally perpendicular to the remainder of the paperback book cover. The position of the anvil wheel 112 and the cutter 100 enable the cover C to be cut adjacent to the binding B of the paperback book.

A tension wheel assembly 126 retains a paperback book at the cutter 98 in a proper location so that the cutter wheel 100 severs the cover C adjacent to the binding B. The assembly 126 includes a rubber wheel 128 fixed on a shaft 130 which is journaled in an arm 132. The arm 132 is rotatably mounted on a block 134 fixed to the frame plate 12. A tension spring 136 engages one end of the shaft 130 and operates thereon so that the wheel 128 is urged against the back cover BC of the paperback book, keeping the book snugly against the anvil wheel 112 (see 1 16.8).

The drive for the chain belts 34, 36 and the cutter wheel 100 is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 and includes a motor .138 which through -a gear box 140 drives a pinion gear 142. The pinion gear in turn drives a chain 144 which in turn drives a gear (not shown )fixed to the shaft of the gear 50 which drives the upper chain belt 34, which in turn rotates the gear 48. The gear 48 is fixed on the shaft of another gear 146 which through intermediate gears 148 and 150 drive a gear 152 which is fixed on the shaft of gear 52 which in turn drives the lower chain belt 36. Through the described gear system, the belts 34, 36 are driven at the same rate but in opposed directions, so that any pair of pushers 38 will engage and carry a paperback book along the length ofthe plate 12 through the operative path. The pinion gear 142 is linked by another chain 154 to a gear 156 which is coaxial with and which drives the shaft extension 106 (see FIG. 8) so as to rotate the cutter wheel Detection means are provided to determine that the cover C of each paperback book is severed from the book. If the cover is cut by the wheel 100, the cover will fall into a cover receptacle 158. If the cover is not severed from the remainder of the book, a circuit, to be described taken with continued movement of the book along the operative path, will cause energization of a set of relays (see FIG. 10) which causes a signal to be sent to a book ejector 162 (see FIG. 9). The ejector includes a solenoid 309 mounted in an opening 165 on the frame plate 12. The plunger of the solenoid engages a tab 166 fixed to a portion ofa kicker 168. The kicker is mounted by a hinge 170 in a position such that the front edge of the kicker 168, when the solenoid plunger is in its retracted, normal position, is flush with the surface of the frame plate 12, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 9. When the solenoid 309 is activated by an unsevered cover, the plunger shifts the tab 166 to cause the kicker 168 to rotate to the position shown in dotand-dash lines in FIG. 9, with the kicker located outwardly from the plate 12. This action of the kicker 168 thrusts a book in alignment over it away from the plate 12, whereupon this book falls into a receptacle 171 (see FIG. 2), which is thus filled only with books from which covers have accidentally not been stripped.

Means is provided to mutilate the coverless paperback books after the stripping process. As each coverless paperback book reaches the end of its run along the operative path between the chain belts 34, 36, it is urged by the pushers 38 forwardly in ,a horizontal direction until it clears the end of the chain belt 36 and falls in a direction designated by the arrow B into the mutilation means. An elongated leaf spring 172 is provided to retain the books against the frame plate 12. The mutilation means includes an endless conveyor belt 174 mounted for rotation about a pair of rollers 176, 178. The rollers are fixed to shafts 180, 182, respectively, which are journaled between the frame members 184, 186 of a floating frame 188. The frame members 184, 186 are connected by a cross bar 190 which is shiftably fixed to the frame 12 by a pair of studs 192. A rod 194 extends from each stud 192 through the cross bar 190 and a spring 196 surrounds each rod 194 and urges the cross bar toward its stud 192. In this manner, the upper portion of the floating frame 188 is urged toward the frame 12 but is able to yield under pressure. The conveyor belt 174 is kept under tension by a pair of idlers 198 which are spring mounted on the frame members 184, 186.

Drive means rotates the conveyor belt 174 and includes a motor 200 which has an output shaft 202 on which a gear is mounted to drive an elongated chain belt 204. This chain belt in turn rotates a pinion 206 which is on the same shaft as drive gear 208 which meshes with driven gear 210 which is on the shaft 182 of the roller 178. As has been mentioned, the roller 178 drives the belt 174 and the direction of rotation of the belt 174 is indicated by the arrow C (see FIG. 11).

After the coverless paperback book has fallen into the mutilation means, it is driven in a downwardly inclined direction by the conveyor belt 174 frictionally engaging the back cover BC thereof, with the pages of the paperback book immediately below the previously removed cover sliding along the face of the frame plate 12. The aforesaid mutilation means further includes two sets of mutilating gears 212, 214. The mutilating gears are characterized by the provision of a number of sharp, spiked, cutting and gouging teeth situated along the periphery thereof. The mutilating gears 212 are fixed to an upper shaft 216 and the mutilating gears 214 are fixed to a lower shaft 218. The shaft 218 is driven by the gear 206 which is connected by a link chain 220 to a gear 222 fixed on the shaft 216. The mutilating gears 212, 214 are driven in a direction opposed to the direction in which the conveyor belt 174 is driven, namely in the directions indicated by the arrows D and E (see FIG. 11). Hence, as the conveyor belt drives each paperback book downwardly-by friction, the mutilating gears 212, 214 cut, rip and gouge the same book so as to shred and mutilate it and render it unsalable. The paperback book need not be completely out or shredded; enough damage need be done to it only so that members of the general public would not purchase it even at a substantially reduced cost. After the book has exited from the mutilating means, it drops into a receptacle 223, which receptacle will thus contain paperback books from which covers have been removed and which have been mutilated.

Having thus described in detail the structure of the aforesaid apparatus, it will be advantageous to briefly review its several functions. Paperback books are first loaded on the chute 16 of the apparatus, with their bindings B up, with their edges E opposed to their bindings abutting the bottom' wall of the chute, and with their covers C uniformly oriented towards the frame plate 12. A weight 24 at the top of this stack of books ensures that the books will slide continuously toward the frame plate to a loading station.

The book P at the bottom of the stack at the loading station, is engaged by a pair of aligned pushers 38 carried by the chain belts 34, 35 and is pushed from the loading station through an operative path along the length of the frame plate 12. The tilt of the plate 12 (see FIG. 2) keeps each book flat against the plate. The group of spring fingers 30 prevents more than one paperback book from being conveyed at a time, regardless of its thickness. Accordingly, it is possible to place on the chute, a number of paperback books of different thicknesses, and the apparatus will operate on them without any adjustment.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the reach 44 of the upper chain belt 34 is situated adjacent the frame plate 12 immediately above the path, at a location to fix the upper limit of the operative path. This segment of the chain belt thus serves to prevent the paperback books fromjumping accidentally from the path, as they slide along the plate.

As the pushers move each paperback book through the aforesaid operative path, the cover plow 72 engages each book in turn and becomes inserted between the cover and the remainder of the book (see FIG. 6). As the movement of this paperback book continues, the cover is diverted behind the plow and turns through the slot shoulder 91 contacting the inside face of the cover and guiding it to open and to rotate until it reaches an orientation substantially 90 from the remainder of the book.

As the paperback book continues to move along the operative path with its cover in this open position, the cutter 98 engages it with the cutter wheel 100 cutting the cover C off closely adjacent to the binding of the paperback book. During this cutting operation, the anvil 112 forces the cover C against the wheel 100 so that a complete severance is achieved, while a tension wheel 128 keeps the paperback book against the side of the anvil so that the cut is made closely adjacent to the binding B.

in the frame plate. This action is caused by the Should the cover C of any book by accident not be cut, the cover will cause an ejector 162 to operate, thrusting the paperback book away from the frame plate 12 and dumping it into receptacle 171.

After the cover is cut, the book falls into mutilation means. The book is driven down an inclined slope by a conveyor belt 174 and while the paperback book is being so driven, sets of mutilating gears 212, 214 out and gouge the paperback book so that it may not be resold. The mutilated books then fall into receptacle The circuit for the apparatus is shown in FIG. 14. Therein, power plug 300 provides opposite potentials on conductors 301 and 302. These potentials are used to operate various relays and solenoids of the circuit. The circuit includes four switches used to detect the presence of certain physical characteristics of a book. All of the switches and relay contacts shown are normally in the positions indicated in this figure.

Sample switch 303 is situated along the operative path before the cutter 98 and closes whenever a book pusher 38 passes by it. The first book detector switch 304 also is situated along the operative path and closes whenever the presence of a book is detected. Cover detector switch 305 is also situated along the operative path beyond the cutter 98 and is operated whenever a book cover is detected as the book is moved along the path. Finally, the second book detector switch 314 is located farther along to the operative path and is operated whenever the presence of a book is detected. The positions of switches 303, 304, 305 and 314 are shown schematically inFIG. 12. When the apparatus is operated, the presence of a book pusher 38 and a book both in the path close switches 303 and 304. If at the same time a cover is detected as being in the process of being severed, switch 305 is closed and a current path is completed between conductors 301, 302 and cover counter 313. The counter is incremented to indicate that another cover has been detected, i.e., cut.

On the other hand, if the sample switch 302 and the first book detector switch 304 are closed, and a cover is not detected, it is an indication that the cover is not being cut and that the book being processed should be ejected from the normal path. Switch 305 then remains in the position shown in FIG. 14, and current flows from conductor 301 through switches 303, 304 and 305, and the coil ofrelay 306 to conductor 302. The relay operates and contacts 306-a and 306-b are closed. The closing of contact 306-a provides a holding path for relay 306; current flows from conductor 301 through solenoid actuated detector switch 307, contact 306-a, and the relay coil 306 to conductor 302. With relay 306 operated, contact 306-b remains in a position to connect the winding of eject solenoid 309 (reference no. 164 in FIG. 9) to the normally open second book detector switch 314.

As the book continues to move along the operative path, the contacts of switch 314 close. At this time, current flows from conductor 301 through the eject solenoid 309, contact 306-b and the contact of switch 314 to conductor 302. The eject solenoid thereupon operates to eject the book into the receptacle 171, via ejector 162.

With the operation of the eject solenoid, there is no longer a reason to hold relay 306 operative. For this reason, this solenoid is constructed such that its operation switches contact 307, the mechanical linkage being shown by dotted line 308. As soon as this solenoid is operated, contact 307 switches position and the holding path for relay 306 is broken. The relay releases and contacts 306-a and 306-b move back to the positions shown. Although the eject solenoid 309 then releases and contact 307 moves back to closed position, with contact 306-a now open, relay 306 cannot operate. With contact 306-b now open, the current path for the eject solenoid is broken and the eject solenoid releases.

The system now operates on the next book in line, all switches having returned to their original positions. However, it is desirable to provide an indication that at least one book with a cover has been ejected into the receptacle 171. (Although this occurs only rarely, when it does occur an operator should be so notified.) When the eject solenoid first operates and contact 307 switches position, conductor 301 is connected through contact 307 to the winding of relay 311, the other end of the relay winding being connected to normally closed contacts 312 to conductor 302. Relay 311 operates and contacts 311-a and 311-b close. Although contact 307 returns to the position shown as soon as eject solenoid 309 releases, relay 311 remains operated because contact 311-a now connects the rightmost end of the relay coil (taken in FIG. 14) to conductor 301. With the relay operated and contact 311-b closed, neon lamp 310 is connected across conductors 301 and 302 and remains energized.

To release relay 311, thereby turning off lamp 310, the operator (preferably, after having removed all books in the receptacle 171) manually releases contact 312. With the momentary opening of this contact, relay 311 releases and contacts 311-a and 311-b open. Although contact 312 then closes when released by the operator, since holding contact 311-a are now open, the relay 411 remains de-energized.

It will thus be seen that an apparatus has been provided which automaticallystrips covers from books in an efficient and continuous manner. The apparatus need only be tended by a single worker who is required to load the paperback books on a supply chute. The aforesaid apparatus enables retailers, wholesalers and distributors to quickly sever covers from paperback books and then to use such paperback book covers as vouchers" to enable themto receive credit for unused paperback books. i

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

There is claimed:

1. In an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like comprising: a supply of paperback books; a frame; means conveying the paperback books from the supply serially along an operative path on the frame, the conveying means including at least one belt mounted for movement along the frame and defining the operative path, and pushers carried by the belt to contact and urge the paperback books along said path; means in the path on the frame for rotating the cover of a paperback book away from the remainder thereof and maintaining the cover in such position; a cutter in the path on the frame for severing the cover of a paperback book adjacent the binding thereof while the cover is in its aforesaid position; theimprovement comprising:

means detecting the failure of the cutter to sever a cover from a paperback book; and

means for ejecting a paperback book from which the cover has not been removed, out of the path, said ejecting means being controlled by said detecting means.

2. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ejecting means includes a kicker normally situated adjacent the operative path, and means for thrusting the kicker through the path so as to push a paperback book in alignment with the kicker out of the path. I

3. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein means on the frame restrains more than one paperback book from being conveyed from the supply at a time.

4. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 3 wherein the restraining means comprises a set of spring fingers situated adjacent the lower end of the chute at the exit side thereof.

5. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover rotating means includes a cover plow having a blade and an anvil, the blade and anvil defining a gap into which the cover of a paperback book is conveyed.

6. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 5 wherein the blade is mounted for limited rotation on the frame and is urged toward the anvil. v

7. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 5 wherein the frame includes a plate having a slot therein, the plow directing the cover into said slot and behind the plow, the edge of the slot rotating the cover of the paperback book away from the remainder thereof.

8. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 7 wherein the edge of the slot at the leading portion thereof is relatively distant from the binding of the paperback book and the edge of the slot at the trailing portion thereof is relatively close to the binding of the paperback book.

9. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like, comprising:

a. a supply of paperback books;

b. a frame including a tilted plate defining in part an operative path;

c. conveying means sliding the paperback books from the supply serially along the tilted plate through the operative path on the frame, the conveying means including at least one chain belt mounted for movement on the frame and defining the operative path, the belt being situated immediately above the path adjacent the plate to serve as an upper limit to retain books in the path, and pushers carried by the belt to contact and urge the paperback books along said path; means in the path on the frame for rotating the cover of a paperback book away from the remainder thereof and maintaining the cover in such position; and

e. a cutter inthe path on the frame for severing the cover of a paperback book adjacent the binding thereof while the cover is in its aforesaid position, the cutter including a cutting wheel and an anvil, the cover of a paperback book in the operative path passing between said wheel and said anvil, the anvil urging the cover toward said wheel; and

f. a tension wheel carried by the frame and positioning the paperback book so that the cutter wheel severs the cover adjacent to its binding. 

1. In an apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like comprising: a supply of paperback books; a frame; means conveying the paperback books from the supply serially along an operative path on the frame, the conveying means including at least one belt mounted for movement along the frame and defining the operative path, and pushers carried by the belt to contact and urge the paperback books along said path; means in the path on the frame for rotating the cover of a paperback book away from the remainder thereof and maintaining the cover in such position; a cutter in the path on the frame for severing the cover of a paperback book adjacent the binding thereof while the cover is in its aforesaid position; the improvement comprising: means detecting the failure of the cutter to sever a cover from a paperback book; and means for ejecting a paperback book from which the cover has not been removed, out of the path, said ejecting means being controlled by said detecting means.
 2. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ejecting means includes a kicker normally situated adjacent the operative Path, and means for thrusting the kicker through the path so as to push a paperback book in alignment with the kicker out of the path.
 3. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein means on the frame restrains more than one paperback book from being conveyed from the supply at a time.
 4. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 3 wherein the restraining means comprises a set of spring fingers situated adjacent the lower end of the chute at the exit side thereof.
 5. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover rotating means includes a cover plow having a blade and an anvil, the blade and anvil defining a gap into which the cover of a paperback book is conveyed.
 6. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 5 wherein the blade is mounted for limited rotation on the frame and is urged toward the anvil.
 7. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 5 wherein the frame includes a plate having a slot therein, the plow directing the cover into said slot and behind the plow, the edge of the slot rotating the cover of the paperback book away from the remainder thereof.
 8. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like as set forth in claim 7 wherein the edge of the slot at the leading portion thereof is relatively distant from the binding of the paperback book and the edge of the slot at the trailing portion thereof is relatively close to the binding of the paperback book.
 9. Apparatus for stripping covers from paperback books and the like, comprising: a. a supply of paperback books; b. a frame including a tilted plate defining in part an operative path; c. conveying means sliding the paperback books from the supply serially along the tilted plate through the operative path on the frame, the conveying means including at least one chain belt mounted for movement on the frame and defining the operative path, the belt being situated immediately above the path adjacent the plate to serve as an upper limit to retain books in the path, and pushers carried by the belt to contact and urge the paperback books along said path; d. means in the path on the frame for rotating the cover of a paperback book away from the remainder thereof and maintaining the cover in such position; and e. a cutter in the path on the frame for severing the cover of a paperback book adjacent the binding thereof while the cover is in its aforesaid position, the cutter including a cutting wheel and an anvil, the cover of a paperback book in the operative path passing between said wheel and said anvil, the anvil urging the cover toward said wheel; and f. a tension wheel carried by the frame and positioning the paperback book so that the cutter wheel severs the cover adjacent to its binding. 